Eye of Cat Part 10

Walter Sands smiled.

"Mean of me," he said. "But we still need you. I know you'd like to go and rest in the home again. It will be harder for us if you drop out now, though. Wait a while."

Mercy stared downward. A look of anger pa.s.sed and her eyes brimmed, sparkled.

"It's silly," she said then. "If he wants to die, let him."

"It's not that simple. He's not that simple," Ironbear said.

"And we owe him."

"I don't owe him anything," she said, "and we don't even know what to do, really. I -" Then, "We all have something that hurts, I guess," she said. "Maybe... Okay. I'll take some tea."

"I wonder what hurts the thing that's after him?" Fisher asked.

"The data are incomplete on the ecology of the place it comes from," Mancin said.

"Then there is only one way to find out, isn't there?"

asked Ironbear. "Go to the source."

"Ridiculous," Fisher said. "It's hard enough touching a human who's gone primitive. The beast seems able to do it at short ranges because they share some bond. But to go after the thing itself and then - I couldn't."

"Neither could I," said Elizabeth. "None of us could. But we might be able to."

"We? Us? Together? Again? It could be dangerous. After that last time -"

"Again."

"We don't even know where the cat-thing is."

"Walford's man can order another check on TripCo's computer network. Locate Singer again and the beast will soon be there."

"And what good would that do us?"

"We won't know till we get that information and give it a try."

"I don't like this," said Fisher. "We could get hurt. It's a d.a.m.ned alien place you're talking about. I touched one of the Strageans yesterday and had a headache for half an hour afterwards. Couldn't even see straight. And they're similar to us in a lot of ways."

"We can always back out if it gets too rough."

"I've got a bad feeling about this," Mercy said, "but I guess it does seem like the Christian thing to do."

"The h.e.l.l with that. Is it going to do any good?"

"Maybe you're right," Mancin said. "It doesn't seem all that promising when you a.n.a.lyze it. Let's tell Walford how Singer did it, tell him about the beast and the deal they made.

Then get the computer check to narrow the field. They can send an armed force after it."

"Send it after the thing that killed the thing an armed force couldn't stop?"

"Let's locate them," Ironbear said, "find out what we can and then decide."

"That much makes sense," Sands said. "I'll go along with it."

"So will I," said Elizabeth.

Mancin glanced at Fisher.

"Looks as if we're' outvoted," he said, sighing. "Okay."

Fisher nodded.

"Call Tedders. Run it through TripCo. I'll be with you."

BILLY STEPPED THROUGH INTO.

his hogan, leaving the transport slip in place. He switched on the guard and turned off the buzzer. He was not receiving calls just now.

His secretary unit told him that Edwin Tedders had called several times. Would he please call back? Another caller left no name, only the message, "They grew them with insula- tion, I learned. You knew that, didn't you?"

He turned on the coffee maker, undressed and stepped into the shower. As he was vibrated clean, he heard the rumble of thunder above the cries of the nozzles.

When he had emerged and dressed himself in warmer clothing he took his coffee out onto his porch. The sky was grey to the north and curtains of rain hung there. A fast wind fled past him. To the south and the east the sky was clear.

Light clouds drifted in the west. He watched the rolling weeds and listened to the wind for a time, finished his coffee and returned to the inside.

Billy picked up the weapon and checked it over. Old- fas.h.i.+oned. A tazer, it was called, firing a p.r.o.nged cable and delivering a strong electrical jolt at the far end. They had fancier things now which ionized a path through the air and sent their charge along it. But this would do. He had used a similar device on Cat before, once he had learned his weak- ness.

Then he honed a foot-long Bowie knife and threaded his belt through the slits in its sheath. He inspected an old 30.06 he had kept in perfect condition. If he could succeed in stunning Cat, it could pump sufficient rounds through that tough hide to hit vital organs, he knew. On the other hand, the weapon was fairly heavy. He finally selected a half-meter laser snub-gun, less accurate but equally lethal. He planned on using it at close range, anyway. That decided, he set to putting together a light pack with minimal gear for the trek he had in mind. When everything was a.s.sembled, he set an alarm, stretched out on his bedroll and slept for two hours.

When the buzzer roused him the rain was drumming on

the roof. He donned a waterproof fleece-lined jacket, shoul- dered his pack, slung his weapons and found a hat. Then he crossed to his communications unit, checked a number and punched it.

Shortly the screen came to life, and Susan Yellowcloud's wide face appeared before him.

"Azaethlin!" she said. She brushed back a strand of hair and smiled. "It's been a couple of years."

"Yes," he said, and he exchanged greetings and a bit of small talk. "Raining over your way?" he finally asked.

"Looks as if it's about to."

"I need to get over to the north rim," he told her. "You're the closest person I know to the spot I have in mind. Okay if I come over?"

Sure. Get in your box and I 11 key ours.

He stepped in, pocketed his strip and punched TRANS.

He came through in the corner of a cluttered living room.

Jimmy Yellowcloud arose from a chair set before a viewscreen to press palms with him. He was short, wide- shouldered, thick around the waist.

"Hosteen Singer," he said. "Have a cup of coffee with us."

"All right," Billy said.

As they drank it, Jimmy remarked, "You said you're going over to the canyon?"

"Yes."

"Not down in it, I hope."

"I'm going down in it."

"The spring flooding's started."

"I'd guessed."

"Nasty-looking gun. Could I see it?"

"Hey, laser! You could punch another hole in Window Rock with this thing. It's old, isn't it?"

"About eighty years. I don't think they make them just like that anymore."

He pa.s.sed it back.

"Hunting something?"

"Sort of."

They sat in silence for a time, then, "I'll drive you over to wherever you want on the rim," he said.

"Thanks." '

Jimmy took another sip of coffee.

"Going to be down there long?" he asked.

"Hard to say."

"We don't see much of you these days."

"Been keeping to myself."

Jimmy laughed.

"You ought to marry my wife's sister and come live over here."

"She pretty?" Billy asked.

"You bet. Good cook, too."

"Do I know her?"

"I don't think so. We'll have to have a squaw dance."

A sudden drumming of rain occurred on the north side of the house.

"Here it comes," Jimmy said. "Don't suppose you'd care to wait till it stops?"

Billy chuckled.

"Could be days. You'd go broke feeding me.,"

"We could play cards. Not much else for a ranger to do this time of year."

Billy finished his coffee.

"You could learn to make jewelry - conchos, bracelets, rings."

"My hands just don't go for that."

Jimmy put down his cup.

"Nothing else to do. I might as well change clothes and go along with you. I've got a high-powered hunting rifle with a radar sight. Knock over an elephant."

Billy traced a design on the tabletop.

"Not this time," he said.

"All right. Guess we'd better get going then."